On the evening of October 27, to celebrate her 24th birthday, Do Thanh Thao invited her husband to drive 200 km back to Melbourne.
Mark Jackman, 36 years old, had to take his wife back to the farm on the hill.
This is the simplest birthday and also the first time the Hanoi girl welcomed her new age without her parents, older sister and younger sister by her side.
Before coming here, Mark and Thao were both lecturers at an English center in Hanoi.
But Thanh Thao’s parents don’t think so.
But when they met Mark, they liked him and realized their two children’s love was serious.
Mark and Thao’s wedding was held in Hanoi, with her loved ones.
After their wedding last September, the two planned to move to Quy Nhon to start a business.
Having visited her husband’s family’s farm once, Thanh Thao felt the air was so fresh that when she breathed, she felt `oxygen go through the brain`.
From the national highway to the family’s farm is a winding hill road, with only two rooftops, each house 1 km apart.
The husband’s family raises 300 cows.
Every morning, Thao tied her long hair up, put on a T-shirt, boots, gloves, and a wide-brimmed hat and her husband drove the cows up the hill.
One afternoon, Mark drove his wife up the hill to bring back the cows.
Thao’s house is surrounded by hills and mountains.
Mrs. Kim Dung, 49 years old, often called to check on her daughter in the first days Thao followed her husband.
Unable to adapt to a new life, not daring to share because she was afraid her parents would be sad, Thao was seriously stressed.
When her husband went to her father’s house to bring food, Thao left the house without her phone.
`She screamed and said she didn’t want to be here anymore and wanted to go back to Vietnam,` Mark said.
Feeding weak or abandoned goats by their mothers is a familiar job for Thao and her husband.
Her husband’s behavior suddenly made Thao regret.
The next morning, Thao got up early, carried the hoe to the garden to make vegetable beds, and planted more fruit trees.
Thao often takes advantage of her free time to take pictures of a newborn cow, a baby goat drinking milk from a bottle, or a flowering peach tree to send to her parents.
One time, a young couple went to the Rescue Station to adopt a dog.
She also appreciates the life she has more when she sees animals, including pets, struggling to survive.
Her foreign daughter-in-law’s hard work and ability to adapt well to her new life made Thanh Thao’s parents-in-law less concerned.
Mark’s happiness is doubled because his young wife matures every day and becomes calmer in everything.
The newlywed couple plans to live on the farm for a long time, setting small goals to gradually improve themselves.
This morning, Do Thanh Thao will start her 24th birthday in a place nearly 8,000 km away from her hometown.